{"id":736721,"date":"2026-06-14T21:01:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T21:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/736721\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T21:01:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T21:01:12","slug":"nrl-2026-the-biggest-talking-points-from-round-15-results-brisbane-broncos-fall-from-grace-dolphins-premiership-odds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/736721\/","title":{"rendered":"NRL 2026: The biggest talking points from Round 15 results, Brisbane Broncos fall from grace, Dolphins premiership odds"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Brisbane Broncos have moved one step closer to becoming the first premiership-winning team to miss out on the finals the following season since 2006.<\/p>\n<p>Watch every game of every round of the NRL Premiership LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports |<a href=\"https:\/\/kayosports.com.au\/en-AU\/welcome\/nrl?extcamp=fsaeditoriallinkleague-edt-fsp-lnk-awr-grc-nrl-kyo&amp;channel=fsa&amp;campaign=fsacontra\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But was the writing on the wall earlier in the season?<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"i-amphtml-fill-content i-amphtml-replaced-content\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/poster-fallback.png\"\/><\/p>\n<p>WHAT&#8217;S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the Canberra Raiders have gone from the hunter to the \u201chunted\u201d after a shocking six months which could also see the minor premiers endure a dramatic fall from grace with the season hanging on by a thread.<\/p>\n<p>BRAITH\u2019S BRUTAL BRONCOS CLAIM AFTER HORROR BUNNIES LOSS<\/p>\n<p>An unwanted piece of history is set to repeat itself for the Brisbane Broncos.<\/p>\n<p>For the second time in three years, the Broncos appear doomed to miss the top eight the season following a grand final appearance.<\/p>\n<p>Thursday night\u2019s flogging at the hands of South Sydney was the club\u2019s sixth-straight defeat.<\/p>\n<p>It means that for the Broncos to have any chance of playing finals, they\u2019ll need to win at least eight from their last ten. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a stunning story. <\/p>\n<p>Last year\u2019s premiers missing out on finals 12 months later&#8230; but was the writing on the wall early in the season?<\/p>\n<p>According to Fox League\u2019s Michael Ennis, perhaps it was.<\/p>\n<p>Ennis noted the Broncos\u2019 premiership defence was off to a rocky start when they lost to Hull KR in the World Club Challenge as unbackable favourites. <\/p>\n<p>Just a week earlier, Payne Haas shocked the NRL world when it was announced he had signed with Souths from 2027.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t see this coming to this severity but I did have some concerns at the start of the year when Haas signed with Souths, they lost the World Club Challenge and Adam Reynolds announced his retirement,\u201d Ennis said on Fox League.<\/p>\n<p>Madge declares Broncos defence &#8216;Alive&#8217; | 04:28<\/p>\n<p>In addition, Brisbane has had to deal with some of the worst injury luck across the league this season.<\/p>\n<p>It compounded further against Souths when Ezra Mam, Jordan Riki and Reynolds picked up injuries, although the Broncos skipper believes he\u2019ll be right to play when Brisbane step out for their next game in just under a fortnight. <\/p>\n<p>Fox League\u2019s Braith Anasta said he has been hesitant to put a line through the Broncos, given the slew of talent they either had missing through Origin or have sidelined with injury.<\/p>\n<p>But now? <\/p>\n<p>He went as far as to claim there is \u201cno next man up mentality\u201d at the club given the way they performed against South Sydney. <\/p>\n<p>He also found Maguire\u2019s decision to leave Mam on the bench puzzling.<\/p>\n<p>Even if the Broncos have been struggling and you can understand Maguire looking to find a spark elsewhere or sending a message by dropping the underperforming Mam, Anasta said the dynamic five-eighth had to be in the starting side.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve got a young team desperate to win and you leave Ezra on the bench. It says it all to me,\u201d he said on Triple M. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven in that first 20 minutes, you need to start fast. You need to get confidence and belief, which they don\u2019t have at the moment, and you\u2019ve got arguably one of your best players \u2014 most influential in attack, which you need to score points against Souths \u2014 you\u2019ve got him sitting on the bench and bring him on when the game\u2019s over. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat tells me how bad of a situation it is there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Broncos were humiliated by the Rabbitohs in their Round 15 clash, their sixth straight loss. Picture: NRL ImagerySource: Supplied<\/p>\n<p>Michael Ennis can\u2019t see the Broncos repeating last year\u2019s miraculous run, although former Brisbane coach Kevin Walters isn\u2019t willing to rule the star-studded roster out just yet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have to recover from this bye and the injuries to Reynolds and Mam last night only hamper them. I can\u2019t see it happening (making the eight),\u201d Ennis said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re in some trouble. \u201cI look at the names and I can\u2019t believe I\u2019m having this conversation.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cUntil they\u2019re mathematically eliminated, I won\u2019t put a line through them because of the names of those players but it\u2019s not going to magically come together,\u201d Walters opined.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have some work to do. They still have to navigate another Origin game as well that they\u2019re affected by. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey got the bye next weekend, then they got the Roosters and Sharks. It won\u2019t be easy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;OH MY GOD!&#8221; Broncos&#8217; horror blunder | 00:32<\/p>\n<p>\u2018STUNNED\u2019 PANTHERS RESPONSE PROVES DOLPHINS CAN GO ALL THE WAY<\/p>\n<p>If the Dolphins end up winning the comp in 2026, they\u2019ll likely point to a conversation inside a locker room in Darwin as the watershed moment of the season.<\/p>\n<p>It was mid-April at TIO Stadium, and the Dolphins weren\u2019t in a great place.<\/p>\n<p>Kristian Woolf\u2019s men had just walked off the ground trailing the Penrith Panthers 18-0 with an almighty task ahead of them.<\/p>\n<p>The week prior, they were embarrassed by the previously winless Sea Eagles, conceding 52 points.<\/p>\n<p>Things were looking in those TIO Stadium sheds&#8230; but whatever was said in those 15 minutes saved their season.<\/p>\n<p>The Dolphins would score 22 straight points to take the lead over Penrith before losing in golden point.<\/p>\n<p>The defeat dropped them to a 2-4 but it signalled a turnaround was close which it was.<\/p>\n<p>It was a big win for the Dolphins. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>The very next week, the Dolphins took on the Warriors, losing another nailbiter, but once again, it showed the rest of the comp that this was a team much better than their record suggested.<\/p>\n<p>Since losing to the league\u2019s top two teams by a combined three points, the Dolphins have reeled off six straight, including a thrashing of an undermanned Roosters side on Friday night.<\/p>\n<p>The Chooks were missing plenty but so were the Dolphins, who had five players on Origin duty. <\/p>\n<p>Outside of the 10-1 Panthers, no team in the NRL is hotter than the Dolphins.<\/p>\n<p>Since the start of the six-game winning streak, the Dolphins are the league\u2019s second best defensive side behind only Penrith.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a pretty stark turnaround from a side who had a reputation of leaking points.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe one thing that we haven\u2019t spoken about that makes them a serious contender and it\u2019s been overshadowed, has been their defence the last six weeks,\u201d Michael Ennis said on Fox League. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis side can punish you from anywhere with the footy in their hands but it has been another ten points they\u2019ve only conceded tonight. <\/p>\n<p>Dolphins beat Chooks for 6th straight W | 02:48<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re averaging the second least amount of points conceded to Penrith since their six-game winning streak started, and it\u2019s only a couple of points that Penrith have got them by in that span.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The sharply improved showing on that side of the ball led to Fox League\u2019s Braith Anasta to pose the question: Can the Dolphins challenge the Panthers this season?<\/p>\n<p>The bookies would have you believe Penrith will coast towards a fifth title in six years, but the Dolphins are looming as serious threats, according to Ennis.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you look at what teams that could possibly beat them in this premiership and the Dolphins are probably one of them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll tell you why they can, and I spoke to a couple of Penrith players after playing the Dolphins in Darwin, and they were stunned with how fit they were.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe second half of that Dolphins performance against Penrith I believe is why they are where they are now.<\/p>\n<p>Isaiya Katoa put in one of his most complete performances of the season. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom the night in Darwin against Penrith, the belief in the group went through the roof because of that second half. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot only can they kill you from everywhere with their speed and creativity, but defensively, their line is moving as well as Penrith\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Matty Johns agreed with Ennis\u2019 assessment, although he was willing to go a step further.<\/p>\n<p>Johns believes the Dolphins could fight or ascendancy for years to come.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are a top four side. There\u2019s no doubt about that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis team is so well set up. I reckon they are a club that will be a really dominant force over the next decade.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Contenders?! Woolf reacts to 6 in a row | 07:49<\/p>\n<p>ROOSTERS\u2019 SENIOR LEADERS FOUND OUT IN \u2018ROLLERCOASTER\u2019 NIGHT<\/p>\n<p>On the one hand, it is hard to read too much into the Roosters\u2019 48-10 loss to the Dolphins.<\/p>\n<p>While both sides were missing a host of Origin stars, the Roosters were particularly hard done by given they were without three members of their spine.<\/p>\n<p>It showed too and when they lost five-eighth Hugo Savala to a head knock late in the first half, it only added to the disruption and put more responsibility on the shoulders of Daly Cherry-Evans.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, he and the rest of the club\u2019s senior players weren\u2019t able to stop the scoreboard from quickly getting out of hand as the Dolphins raced up for a comprehensive victory.<\/p>\n<p>And while an underwhelming performance from the Roosters was understandable given the personnel unavailable, Fox League\u2019s Michael Ennis said the club\u2019s leaders do still warrant some scrutiny for the way they didn\u2019t match the Dolphins\u2019 energy and intensity, especially up front.<\/p>\n<p>Salesi Foketi is one of the Roosters young guns who impressed. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was really evident the Dolphins had their hooker, halfback and five-eighth together and were all class,\u201d Ennis said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor the Roosters, there was a real moment for them earlier in the season, a real recalibration of their attack, and that stemmed around James Tedesco and Robson. I thought they really missed them tonight.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd then the other part, which I thought Trent Robinson really hit the nail on the head (with), I thought their senior leaders just didn\u2019t look as excited and as hungry as the opposition tonight and that would disappoint him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI looked at the Roosters forward pack tonight and thought they were a real chance if they can get the physical part done right\u2026 yes they were inexperienced in the backline but it could have been one of those nights in wet conditions where the experience of Daly Cherry-Evans kicked them to death. Crichton needed a big night to stand up and I thought they missed the mark.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Roosters coach Trent Robinson had a similar message post-game, where he both acknowledged the less than ideal situation his team found itself in while maintaining he expected better of his more experienced players.<\/p>\n<p>The debutants, led by Rex Bassingthwaighte and Toby Rodwell, on the other hand were rare shining lights for the Roosters in what was otherwise a tough night.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI felt like we had enough out there to really fight our way,\u201d Robinson said in his post-game press conference.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI felt like the spirit was really high. You could see how hard they were working for each other. But I did expect more out of some of the leaders out there just to control those moments a bit better.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought a lot of the young folks coming in did really well. I just thought it could have been a bit better for us there. I would have liked to have just hold it around 18-0, 24-0, and get back to 24-6, 24-12. But we let it go too far.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Conflicting&#8217; Robbo &amp; DCE face the music | 06:16<\/p>\n<p>Stand-in skipper Cherry-Evans was one of the players who was supposed to stand up in the absence of so many big names, and while he got through plenty of work off the boot the rest of his performance was underwhelming in comparison.<\/p>\n<p>It may be hard to be overly critical of Cherry-Evans considering the circumstances as it was always going to be difficult to find fluency in attack with so many fresh faces in the backline, and he did kick for a whopping 712 metres.<\/p>\n<p>But his contact in defence was not where it needed to be, while even if he may be nearing the back-end of his career, Cherry-Evans would expect more from himself than two runs for seven metres.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou could see the disappointment (from Cherry-Evans) not only in the loss but in his own involvement and how he could have manufactured a win a little bit better,\u201d Kevin Walters said post-game.<\/p>\n<p>Cherry-Evans told reporters there were mixed emotions after Friday\u2019s loss, with the veteran halfback both disappointed with the result but stoked to see the club\u2019s young debutants shine.<\/p>\n<p>Hugo Savala was ruled out early in the game. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was a proud moment to be named captain of this great club, then there\u2019s the disappointment of the game and the result and then as a teammate I\u2019m so happy for some of the young fellas to debut,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been a roller coaster emotionally today, but we will dust ourselves off. It is a tough night, there\u2019s no doubt about \u2013 there\u2019s no hiding from that. But we\u2019re in round 15 of the 27-week season so we do have to dust ourselves off and get back to a style of footy that gets us back in the winner\u2019s circle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Up front, Naufahu Whyte led from the front with 165 metres and 45 tackles, but former Origin representatives Spencer Leniu and Angus Crichton didn\u2019t have the desired impact.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSpencer Leniu was a little quiet with only two carries in his first stint. It was probably not enough from him to get the Roosters on the front foot,\u201d added Walters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBilly Smith was a bit off as well with a couple of missed tackles.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDCE was right. It is one night. They\u2019ve got to fix it up next week (and) get back into that Roosters style of football. We\u2019ve seen at their best, they can challenge (every team).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Common sense, it should be a Try!&#8217; | 01:00<\/p>\n<p>THE VOLKMAN DILEMMA<\/p>\n<p>The Parramatta Eels have been forced into an interesting roster dilemma with Ronald Volkman as they weigh up who will be Mitchell Moses\u2019s long-term partner in the halves.<\/p>\n<p>Arriving at the Eels in 2025, Volkman has revived his career this season proving that he can continually compete at NRL level and has the ability to be a reliable starting playmaker.<\/p>\n<p>Producing the best performance of his tenure with the Eels over the weekend against the Canberra Raiders, he has emerged as a genuine option to wear the No.6 for the club on a permanent basis in next year\u2019s campaign when Jonah Pezet departs for the Broncos.<\/p>\n<p>However, his rise has created a selection headache for the Eels.<\/p>\n<p>Do they reward Volkman with a contract extension and back him as the future five-eighth of the club?<\/p>\n<p>Or do they keep their trust in the club\u2019s next wave of emerging talent which includes 2025 Under-19s SG Ball Cup Player of the Year Lorenzo Talataina, who has been earmarked to be their long-term No.6?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s a genuine star of the future and with Mitch not there, they have missed that class (that Volkman has brought in),\u201d Luke Keary said on Fox League\u2019s Super Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor his ninth start in the Parramatta side. There\u2019s a lot of pressure on that jersey, but I thought he was outstanding.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019ve got a player there (and) he may be their six next year beside Mitch.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA &#8211; JUNE 13: Joseph Papalii of the Eels and Jack Williams of the Eels congratulate Ronald Volkman of the Eels after he kicked a field goal during the round 15 NRL match between Parramatta Eels and Canberra Raiders at CommBank Stadium, on June 13, 2026, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Formerly with the New Zealand Warriors, the 23-year-old was set to join the St George Illawarra Dragons in 2024 before a shoulder injury derailed the move and he was unable to pass a routine medical check.<\/p>\n<p>This saw the club terminate his services before the NRL could register the contract, despite him training with the side and the club announcing his arrival on its website.<\/p>\n<p>The setback left his career at a crossroads, but he has since rekindled his form and has turned himself into one of the most in-form players at the Eels at the moment.<\/p>\n<p>However, despite his resurgence, Volkman remains without a contract for next season and beyond.<\/p>\n<p>Without a club, recent reports have indicated that he has been offered to multiple teams in the Super League competition as he tries to continue his rugby league playing career.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s pretty good. I\u2019ve learned to step up in those moments and to get it in first grade, you can\u2019t get any better,\u201d Volkman said on Fox League after the club\u2019s win over the Raiders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing in that role and steering the ship around in the past couple of weeks in some close games, I\u2019ve taken it head-on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ryles makes Bold comment after upset win | 05:41<\/p>\n<p>HUNTERS TO THE \u2018HUNTED\u2019 OVER SIX MONTHS<\/p>\n<p>The Raiders have gone from the hunters to the \u201chunted\u201d and after a poor first half of the season, we can get the red pen out.<\/p>\n<p>That is according to legendary halfback Cooper Cronk who was of the belief a finals appearance for Ricky Stuart\u2019s men was a bridge too far after a shock loss in Round 15.<\/p>\n<p>Canberra went down to an understaffed Eels outfit, albeit without a key trio in Ethan Strange, Simi Sasagi and Hudson Young due to Origin commitments and injury.<\/p>\n<p>However, the Raiders now have slumped to 13th place on the NRL ladder with only five wins to their name after winning the minor premiership a year earlier.<\/p>\n<p>And Cronk believes their finals hopes have come to an end.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndividually brilliant, they possess some of the faster, more athletic players that really rocketed them to the minor premiership last year,\u201d Cronk said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTheir attack was so good and so enjoyable. This year, they just haven\u2019t connected, individual brilliance is not there.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have been hunted as opposed to the other way around. Eight of their next 10, they need to get to 13 wins at least.<\/p>\n<p>SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA &#8211; JUNE 13: Zac Hosking of the Raiders shows his frustration during the round 15 NRL match between Parramatta Eels and Canberra Raiders at CommBank Stadium, on June 13, 2026, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have to play four teams in the top eight above them on the run home, they have two byes up their sleeve. I thought tonight was a must-win.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think they are done, I don\u2019t know if they can jag enough wins. Even with all that cavalry coming back. Strange and Sasagi who are really good players.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut it\u2019s a tough fall from grace from minor premiers last year. I don\u2019t see them making it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the return of several key players will provide a significant boost over the next few weeks, every match has effectively become a must-win encounter if they are to have any chance of playing finals football.<\/p>\n<p>Leaving themselves with little margin for errors, they can\u2019t afford another slip-up, but they have shown in previous years that they are capable of catching fire when their backs are against the wall.<\/p>\n<p>And if they are to do so, there will be no one who comes close to stopping them, as they still possess one of the most electrifying back-lines and powerful forward packs in the entire competition.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s still life, there is still life. They will get Ethan Strange back, we know they could go on a run,\u201d Luke Keeary said.<\/p>\n<p>SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA &#8211; JUNE 13: Kaeo Weekes of the Raiders warms up during the round 15 NRL match between Parramatta Eels and Canberra Raiders at CommBank Stadium, on June 13, 2026, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Facing the Storm &#8211; who could be without their Origin stars &#8211; and Dragons &#8211; the NRL\u2019s wooden spooners over the next two weeks, they could very well revive their season against two of the most inconsistent teams in this year\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n<p>They will then face the Canterbury Bulldogs, South Sydney Rabbitohs and Wests Tigers before their bye which are all winnable matches.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCanberra was very disappointing, they had to win really&#8230; we said if they don\u2019t leave here with two points, their chances of playing finals are gone,\u201d Greg Alexander said.<\/p>\n<p>Kevin Walters added, \u201cWe all believed that at the start of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ricky forced to address Raiders drop-off | 06:56<\/p>\n<p>LUAI RESPONDS AFTER WORST GAME OF HIS CAREER<\/p>\n<p>Seven days after being urged to \u201cstand up\u201d by former premiership-winner Luke Keary, Jarome Luai delivered a timely response in the Wests Tigers\u2019 final Leichhardt Oval match until 2028.<\/p>\n<p>In Round 14, he struggled to execute the fundamentals and was unable to take control as the club\u2019s chief playmaker in a humiliating defeat to the Panthers, where they conceded the equal-fifth worst defeat in the competition\u2019s history.<\/p>\n<p>This saw Keary give a blunt assessment of Luai\u2019s form at the time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJarome has to stand up. He hasn\u2019t brought them any success,\u201d Keary, a former premiership winner, said on Fox League\u2019s Sunday Ticket at the time. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey haven\u2019t done anything with him there and this is what they\u2019re dishing up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fast forward to Round 15 and Keary has apologised for those remarks after he produced arguably the best performance in a Tigers jersey to date.<\/p>\n<p>Turning around his form, the five-eighth ran for 105 metres, made two line breaks, produced one try assist, and crossed the line on three occasions, notching up his first-ever hat-trick in the NRL.<\/p>\n<p>SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA &#8211; JUNE 14: Jarome Luai of the Wests Tigers celebrates scoring a try during the round 15 NRL match between Wests Tigers and Gold Coast Titans at Leichhardt Oval, on June 14, 2026, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJarome was really good. I was critical of him last week, but he was awesome,\u201d Keary said on Fox League\u2019s Sunday Night with Matty Johns.<\/p>\n<p>Ex-NSW Blues star forward Nathan Hindmarsh added, \u201cJarome Luai was absolutely outstanding. He ran the ball probably more than I\u2019ve seen him run in a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen Jarome runs the ball, that\u2019s his strength. He\u2019s deceptive. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s strong enough to do the ball running and he just gets himself involved in the game. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen he has a few of these quick play the balls he grows confidence from that. Three tries and a great kicking game.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Not only did the scintillating showing mark a strong turnaround for Luai but it also has created renewed belief among the Wests Tigers playing group.<\/p>\n<p>This comes as they build momentum towards pushing for a spot in the NRL Finals for the first time in nearly two decades.<\/p>\n<p>Luai hattie silences the critics! | 00:35<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe criticism was warranted. The results were a reflection of the leadership and I was a big part of that so seeing your critique there made me decide to turn it up a bit,\u201d Luai said on Fox League.<\/p>\n<p>While the road ahead remains challenging &#8211; especially with matches against the Dolphins and Roosters in back-to-back weeks &#8211; Luai\u2019s display showed a clear blueprint on how the side can unlock their full attacking potential.<\/p>\n<p>With his running game on point and the impending returns of Adam Doueihi and Samuela Fainu back from injury soon, the additional strike power could help them return to the top-eight.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJarome Luai was pumped from the word go. He took the first carry, he has taken the last,\u201d Cooper Cronk said on Fox League.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe scored a hat-trick here in the last game at Leichhardt and the Leichhardt faithful love him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen Jarome Luai plays like this he\u2019s devastating.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Brisbane Broncos have moved one step closer to becoming the first premiership-winning team to miss out on&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":736722,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":["post-736721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-nrl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=736721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/736722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=736721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=736721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=736721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}